1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drum lock device for chemical- and hazardous-waste containers, and, more particularly, to a locking device structure drum wherein, upon with the locking bar inserted through the cap apertures and a padlock being embraced through the locking bar, the caps are secured and the drum is sealed.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The inventor and his assignee have extensive backgrounds in manufacturing and distributing drum lock devices, and hold several patents in the field.
Drums containing pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, liquid chemicals and the like are usually provided with a bung hole and a vent hole in their top portion or cover. These holes are generally plugged with threadable plugs to prevent leakage. However, such drums are often subject to contamination and theft of its contents while in storage and it is highly desirable to provide means to prevent unauthorized access to such drums.
In the past devices have been proposed to effect such unauthorized access. These devices include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,060, issued Apr. 7, 1987 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,317 issued Sep. 18, 1990 to the inventors hereof. 0f the two previously cited patents, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,060 is most closely related to this disclosure. U.S. Pat. No. '060 had a field of search involving various subclasses of Class 70, namely, Subclasses 164, 165 and 229-231 and discussed in the introduction, U.S. Pat. No 1,599,685 to C. Spaeth and U.S. Pat. No. 1,806,124 to W. H. Smith.
In U.S. Pat. No. '685, a closure member for metal containers is described having a flat top and a flanged portion to enable a wrench to be engaged. The member has a cylindrical body portion threaded internally and externally which is adapted to be threaded into the threaded opening of a seating and connecting ring or collar. A stud having an eye is secured to the top of the closure adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock. A smaller horizontal opening is formed within the stud at right angles to the eye opening. A closing cover is fitted over the top of the closure member to prevent the stud from being engaged by a wrench when not desired, if a padlock is used in the eye.
In U.S. Pat. No. '124, a locking device for a container having a bung plug and a vent plug is provided. A top plug is threaded into the bung and vent plugs, each top plug having an eye. Two rods having rings at both ends, are slid through the eye of each top plug and the inner rings of each rod are connected by a padlock.
In preparation for this application, a search was conducted to update the information at hand and uncovered U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,840 to D. J. Wilson, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,980 to M. S. Phillips.
U.S. Pat. No. '980 illustrates one attempt at a security device in which a securing bar holding captive a prob on top of one cap and fitting over a shackle provision integral with the top of the second cap is proposed. Here, the caps have box wrench provisions intermediate the ends thereof, which are covered by a freely rotating isolating covers installed between the securing bar and the caps.
U.S. Pat. No. '840 shows in contrast to the above a telescoping locking bar with interlocking lugged ends which, in turn, fit into interlocking lugged caps.
The present invention, on the other hand, provides an efficient and effective locking device for drums and other containers containing two alignable openings which is easy to install and offers benefits previously unknown to the art.